Sunoco
376 Owens Road , Fulton, New York, United States

Were your neighbors … your coaches … your customers … your friends – were the Sunoco Ethanol Fulton, New York Manufacturing Plant. Were one of the largest, most advanced ethanol producers in the United States. A company committed to driving the local, state and national economies by: hiring local employees; supporting statewide corn producers; and producing a renewable transportation fuel which helps lower gasoline prices, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce our nations dependency on foreign oil.

FULTON PLANT

For nearly 25 years – 1971 to 1994 – the Town of Volney (just outside the Fulton city limits) was home to a Miller Brewing Plant. The plant sat vacant until 2007 when it was repurposed as an ethanol production facility valued at over $200 million. In 2009, the owners filed for bankruptcy and the facility was sold for just $8.5 million to Sunoco.  pic1Sunoco immediately invested more than $20 million to improve processes and technologies with the goal of creating one of the most technologically advanced biofuel production facilities in the United States.  On June 21, 2010, the facility returned to production and 24/7/365 operation.  At full production rate, this advanced production facility is able to produce in excess of 85 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year, along with millions of pounds of dried distillers grains and carbon dioxide, not to mention nearly two million gallons of corn oil.   In 2013, the Sunoco Ethanol plant purchased more than $150 million in corn that would be used to produce 61 million gallons of ethanol and numerous by-products.  The ethanol produced by the Sunoco Fulton Ethanol plant is the Official Fuel of NASCAR®.  Sunoco Ethanol can always be counted on to deliver maximum performance – its why the best drivers in the world choose Sunoco.  Sunoco is the exclusive provider of racing fuel for NASCARs three national series: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR Nationwide Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Serie.

CORN OIL

Corn oil was the fastest growing feedstock for biodiesel production in 2013, further strengthening the tie between the ethanol and biodiesel industries.  Dry grind ethanol plants engaged in the extraction process, like the Sunoco Ethanol plant, are currently producing about 3 billion pounds of corn oil, which is sold into three primary markets: domestic biofuels, domestic feed market and the export market (for both feed and biofuels).  As production of corn oil has increased at ethanol plants, utilization by biodiesel plants, the animal feed industry and the export market have kept pace. Looking specifically at biodiesel, between 2011 and 2013, use of corn oil as a biodiesel feedstock grew by a whopping 245 percent, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration numbers.  Prior to 2000, the corn oil market was relatively small. It grew rapidly in 2008, however. That was the year that Renewable Products Marketing Group and other companies began marketing ethanol co-products.

WHY ETHANOL

• 13.3 billion gallons of ethanol
• Eliminating the need for more than 462 million barrels of imported oil
• Produced domestically, the ethanol industry accounted for more than 86,000 direct jobs and 300,277 indirect jobs in 2013

The tremendous growth of ethanol production in the U.S. significantly reduces the amount of oil our nation needs to import, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and increases the nations energy independence.  Americas ethanol industry not only leads the world in the production and use of ethanol, it is also one of the largest exporters of fuel ethanol in the world.  American producers sent hundreds of millions of gallons of denatured and undenatured ethanol to 70 countries, with the majority shipping to just three regions: Canada, EU, and Brazil.  In addition to ethanol, the U.S. also exported an estimated 7.7 million metric tons of dried distillers grains to top destinations for this nutrient-rich feed including Mexico, Canada, and many Asian nations such as China and Vietnam.

Excellent for the Environment 

As we increase the amount of ethanol used in American gasoline supplies, the air we breathe is becoming much cleaner. There is no fuel available today that can match ethanols ability to improve overall environmental quality compared to gasoline.  Ethanol-fueled vehicles produce lower carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions, and the same or lower levels of hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions. E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, also has fewer volatile components than gasoline, which means fewer emissions from evaporation.

Energizing the Economy

Ethanol production is an economic stimulus. Because ethanol is produced domestically, from domestically grown crops, the economic benefits of ethanol production goes well beyond plant employees, contractors, and local communities, it supports farmers and regional agricultural activities.  Overall, in 2013, the U.S. ethanol industry added $44 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and paid $8.3 billion in taxes. Economic activity and job creation in this industry sector helped raise household income $30.7 billion.

OUR PROCESS

While we make it sound easy, the process of producing fuel grade denatured ethanol is far from simple. Operating 24/7/365, the Sunoco Ethanol Fulton manufacturing plant continues to optimize process and performance by advancing the technologies used in the production process.